Minnesota’s afternoon against Mississippi State turned into an early warning sign, and it had little to do with effort. The Gophers kept battling, but a disastrous opening stretch buried them in a 38-13 loss, and the bigger issue was impossible to miss: P.J. Fleck’s team did not look prepared in Week 2.
The first SEC team to play in Minneapolis since 1959 arrived with a clear edge, and Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor made sure it showed. He led the Bulldogs to four straight scoring drives to open the game, and Minnesota never really recovered from that start.
That puts even more attention on the decisions Fleck made after last season, especially the choice to keep both offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh Jr. and defensive coordinator Danny Collins. Either move would have been understandable after a year in which both sides of the ball fell short. Keeping both now looks like a gamble that may already be costing Minnesota.
Collins’ defense had reasons to believe it could take a step forward. Mississippi State was explosive in Week 1 against UL Monroe, but Minnesota brought back a defense with real credentials, including Anthony Smith, who was voted the Preseason Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
The Gophers also had one of the conference’s most experienced pass-rush groups and added help through the portal cycle. None of that showed up on Saturday.
Mississippi State ran for 252 yards, while Minnesota managed just 13, and that gap told the story of the game as much as anything else.
Harbaugh’s side of the ball had a few decent moments, and Drake Lindsey played relatively well. But that’s where the concern really starts to sharpen. This is Harbaugh’s fourth season as the play-caller and his second with Lindsey at quarterback, and Minnesota still isn’t getting enough out of a player the source describes as NFL talent under center.
Losing Corey Heatherman to Miami (FL) before the 2025 season was always going to be a tough hit, especially for a program without the same financial resources as much of the Big Ten. Still, the Gophers are not matching the talent on this roster with consistent results. When that happens, the spotlight naturally lands on coaching.
There is still a long way to go in the 2026-27 season, and this loss could look different with time. But right now, Minnesota’s outlook feels shaky.
The roster looks solid enough on paper. The plan on Saturday afternoon did not.
In Other News...
Gophers Just Triggered An Early Warning Sign In ESPNs Ratings
After two weeks of college football, ESPNs FPI board has already started to shift in ways that say a lot about how thin the margins can be in September. Oklahoma State surged after its upset of Oregon, while teams like NC State and Maryland also got meaningful bumps in the projections. Minnesota, though, was on the other side of that movement, with its rating sliding after a loss as the metric recalibrated what the Gophers start to the season looks like.
For a program trying to build early momentum, those kinds of drops are the sort of warning sign that can linger even this early in the schedule. The Gophers still have plenty of time to change the story, but FPI is already reflecting the kind of result that makes every next game feel a little more important, especially when the national picture is being rewritten week by week. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Fans Are Turning On Ryan Day For A Familiar Reason
Week 2 delivered a rough reminder of how quickly a season can tilt, and Minnesota was right in the middle of it after a home loss to Mississippi State. The Gophers had a chance to make a statement in front of their own crowd, but instead were beaten 38-13 and spent most of the afternoon looking like the more overmatched team, a result that naturally sharpened the questions already hanging over the program.
The bigger issue for Minnesota was how thoroughly it lost the battle up front. Mississippi State controlled the trenches from start to finish, and the lopsided rushing edge was a clear sign of how little the Gophers could establish themselves physically. For a team trying to build momentum early in the year, it was the kind of defeat that leaves fans looking straight at coaching and wondering how much needs to change. [Read more 🡒]
Minnesota Suddenly Has Some Uncomfortable Questions After This Blowout
Minnesota left Starkville with far more to sort through than just a lopsided loss, as the Gophers were outclassed in a 38-13 defeat to Mississippi State. The problems showed up early and often, with the defense unable to slow the Bulldogs and the offensive side getting bogged down by penalties while trying to find any rhythm. It was the kind of afternoon that can turn a nonconference game into a much bigger conversation about where a team really stands.
The state of the offense only added to the unease. Darius Taylor was not fully healthy, which left Minnesota trying to manufacture production without one of its most important playmakers at full strength, and the penalties kept stacking up as the game slipped away. For a program that usually leans on structure and toughness, this was a jarring reminder that there are still questions to answer on both sides of the ball. [Read more 🡒]